Thousands flock to Trang An festival in Ninh Binh

A performance of Quan Ho (love duet) singing at the festival (Credit: zing.vn)

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NDO – Thousands of people and visitors flocked to the 2017 Trang An Traditional Festival which officially kicked off on April 15 at Suoi Tien temple under the Trang Tan ecological tourism area in Ninh Binh province.

The festival is held annually to celebrate Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong, a general under the reign of the 18th Hung King.

During the two-day festival, numerous rituals imbued with cultural identities of the ancient city of Hoa Lu (now Ninh Binh province) were held, including boat and palanquin processions and a dragon dance on the river.

A wide variety of cultural and arts activities of 11 provinces and cities, including performances of folk songs which were recognised as intangible cultural heritages of humanity such as Quan ho (love duet), Xoan (a special art form in Phu Tho province), and Nha nhac cung dinh Hue (Hue royal Court Music), will be the highlight of the event.

Visitors to the festival will have a chance to enjoy specialties of the province and several other localities. Furthermore, the setting of the Hollywood blockbuster ‘Kong: Skull Island’ was reproduced at the ecological tourism complex and is open free-of-charge to visitors.

The festival is one of practical activities to celebrate the country’s major events in 2017 as well as promote the image of the land and people of Vietnam, including Ninh Binh province, to international friends.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of Ninh Binh provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Thach said that Trang An Festival aims to educate the public on the patriotic tradition and the spirit of great national unity among people, particularly younger generations.

The event is also an opportunity to pray for a peaceful country and prosperous people, fair winds and good crops.